SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Apr 26, 2009 13:18:02 GMT -5
What does everyone prefer??? I am going to post a few pics of some Agates I've polished. These are not cabs...but the question can go for cabs as well as specimens or nodules. I find it much easier to dome polish than to flat polish...but you get 2 totally different looks with each one...as you will see. Are there any secrets on polishing a flat face?? I still am having a hard time to get all the scratches out of a flat face. I prefer domes on cabs...but I think the flat face are very nice on specimens. What do you think? These are two sets of Agates. Baby Mexican Agates....maybe Mel can ID. Coyomito Agate (my guess ;D) I went over the flat one twice but still has scratches on the face. This one is Laguna(my guess as well ;D) You get two totally different looks with a dome and flat face. I like the flat face on this one much better. It really shows off the banding. Here are just a few dome polishes I finished as well. Enjoy! Steve
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 26, 2009 13:58:59 GMT -5
I usually prefer a dome but I have found when cutting a preform with a neat picture in it, you can lose the picture when you remove material to cut the dome so I sometimes do those flat. Man, that agate on the right in the second pic is outstanding!...Mel
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Post by mohs on Apr 26, 2009 14:20:12 GMT -5
I'd like to flat lap more but its so darn difficult without good machinery
I often wonder if cabochon became the preferred choice because its the easier way to polish a stone?
besides having other good attributes such as light refraction
but lap on man !
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,777
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Post by adrian65 on Apr 26, 2009 15:00:25 GMT -5
I surely vote for a flat dome instead of a flat surface. Firstly, a flat dome gives a far better shine than a flat surface and seccondly, it shows it's an artifact, compared to a flat polished surface which could be obtained using an "industrial" tool such as a vibe lap.
Adrian
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Post by parfive on Apr 26, 2009 15:14:03 GMT -5
Steve – For slabs and nodules, flat polish wins every time!!!
Nice Coyamito on the left; Laguna right is a beauty!!
As for working flats, I hand-lap everything (backs of cabs too) on glass to 500 or 1000 before polishing. I’m just fussy about flat being FLAT. (Kinda funny – I enjoy hand-lapping, but I’m too lazy to buy a Crystal Master or Ameritool.)
Smaller ones I’ll polish on the wheels and leather pad. Big ones I’ll polish in a Covington vibe lap w/the polish pad.
Rich
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Wolfden
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2007
Posts: 1,368
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Post by Wolfden on Apr 26, 2009 15:18:02 GMT -5
Great bunch ... i think it really depends on the patterns in the stone , like Mel says you can lose patterns when dome polishing ..i think that with specimens or nodules i would go flats , just to be able to show the banding and any patterning that are specific to that type of material ..
the first and second ones are outstanding .. thanks for sharing
Wolf
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Post by mohs on Apr 26, 2009 16:27:50 GMT -5
I like that idea of the elbow grease method with all the great bench stones and diamond products and abrasive papers on the market
I bet you can get superior results-fairly quickly
I was wondering if any one as tried a Japanese wet stone for lapping? there great for metal products... knives, wood working tools ect... if they could hone stone would really be on to something Ed
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Post by 150FromFundy on Apr 26, 2009 19:32:58 GMT -5
For cabs - dome. For slabs, geodes, and larger pieces - flat.
Unless you have a perfectly uniform bevel all the way around (easy on a cab, virtually impossible on larger pieces) it never looks quite right. If it doesn't look quite right, it won't reflect light quite right either.
150FromFundy
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highplainsdrifter
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,266
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Post by highplainsdrifter on Apr 26, 2009 20:52:58 GMT -5
Tough call, I usually prefer a dome, but I see what you mean with the fidelity of the banding coming through. I also noticed this when working the Lakers I'm cutting now. I find it much harder to get a good polish on totally flat pieces though. It's also hard to judge from a photo. When you hold a high domed banded agate the 3-d nature of the piece is nice. From your pics though, I'd have to go with the flat ones.
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Post by frane on Apr 28, 2009 7:50:55 GMT -5
They are both nice but it seems that with the flat dome, you have a lot more depth to the stones. Looks like you are just looking strait down into them. I love them all though! Fran
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